I devoured it in one sitting.' Irish Independent—‘Sharon Osbourne takes complex family ties and adds a heaving gasp of fame, sex and subterfuge to cr
Shari Low, Daily Record—'This is a compulsive debut novel from Ozzy's wife and manager, giving a wonderful insight into the
Sun—‘With plenty of “Oh my God, we hope that’s based on a real celeb” moments, Revenge is super-scandali
Heat—‘I was so taken in by the oh-so-enjoyable plot that I missed my station – twice . . . a crazy romp t
Revenge has long been a popular literary theme, and two new commercial novels tackle it in showbiz fashion. In the latest installment of best-selling author Collins's Lucky Santangelo saga (Drop Dead Beautiful), the strong, beautiful, and successful Lucky refuses to sell her luxury Vegas hotel/casino/apartment complex to Armand Jordan, a misogynistic billionaire who won't take no for an answer (this is where vengeance comes in). In addition, her nearly 18-year-old daughter, Max, wants to move to New York City to start her adult life, but Lucky, who grew up way too fast, is concerned. Reality TV star Osbourne's fiction debut is a sibling rivalry story about two English sisters whose mother's plans for stardom were thwarted when she became pregnant. As a result, Margaret resented firstborn Chelsea, now a wild, troubled, and talented actress, and favored baby Amber, who is a rom-com sweetheart who does what Margaret tells her to do. All hell really breaks loose between them when Leo, a movie producer, interferes professionally and personally and drives the sisters to seek revenge. VERDICT Collins delivers another juicy read, but pay attention: Goddess of Vengeance has many characters to track, and the novel moves rapidly. Collins spends a lot of time interrupting the various stories to tell readers about the characters' histories, a common hazard when writing a series. In a story published in the British Times, a Little, Brown spokesperson disclosed that Revenge had an uncredited cowriter but said the story was dreamed up by Osbourne (ow.ly/5UsG8). However this novel was conceived and written, it's massively entertaining and perfectly paced, with just the right amount of narrative and dialog. The characters are drawn well. Both novels name-drop brands and celebrities and are filled with sex and drugs. Libraries should expect high demand for Collins, as usual, and should order extra copies of Revenge, which is sure to get a lot of mainstream press. [Goddess of Vengeance previewed in Prepub Alert, 3/28/11.]—Samantha J. Gust, Niagara Univ., NY
